Air-releasing appliance for signals, switches, and the like.



v c. w. KILLIAN. AIR RELEAShNG APPLlANCE FOR SIGNALS, SWITCHE, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION EILED. 115C. n. 1913.

Patented July 27, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- @mKm-M w vtmeooao KILLIAN AIR RELEASING APPLIANCE FOR SIGNALS, SWITCHES, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 11. I9I3.

Km 1 9 1 7H 2 w J d 6 t n .w a P 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Qwvewtoz CLEBURG'WESLEY KILL-IAN, 0F OAKLAND, GALIFOItNIA.

AIRFBELEASING APPLIANCE FOR SIGNALS, SWITCHES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2'7, 1915.

Application flledllecember 11, 1913. serm No. ao5,9se.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLEBURG WESLEY KIL- LIAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Releasing Appliances for Signals, Switches, and the like; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same? This invention relates to improvements in appliances adapted to be connected with railway signals, switches and the like for releasing the air and applying the brakes of railway trains or cars.

One object of the invention is to provide an appliance of this character which will automatically release the air from the air brake system of a railway train or car when the danger signal is not seen or is ignored by the engineer, or when thesignal is out of or er.

Another object is to provide an air releasing appliance of this character which may be carrie by a track walker and quickly applied to the track and connected with a signal or switch.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a cross sectional view through a railway track showing my air releasing appliance applied thereto and. to. a semaphore signal, and illustrating the front end of a portion of a locomotive approaching the signal; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through one rail and through the appliance attached thereto and to the signal; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the connecting rod for the air releasing member of the appliance; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the air releasin member; Fig. 5 is a perspective view 0 the track enga 'ng or attaching member of the device; ig. 6' is a front view of a portion of a locomotive showing the arrangement of the frangible air releasing members which are broken by the appliance to -release the air from the train pipe of the locomotive; Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through one of the frangible air releasing devices of the locomotl ve and the adjacent end of the train pipe to which the same is attached; Fig. 8 is a detail vertical section of one of the frangible air releasing members detached from the train pipe.

In the present embodiment of the invention the same is shown as being applied to a semaphore signal, it will be understood however that the use of the device is not confined to this form of signal, but may be connected with a switch flag mans station or the like. The appliance comprises a track engaging member in the form of clamping blocks 1 and 2 having in their upper surfaces recesses 3\which receive the base of the rail and form shoulders 4 which are adapted to engage the edges of the base flange and to tightly grip the latter when the blocks 1 and 2 are drawn together by clamping bolts 5 which are applied thereto as shown. In the upper side of the outer clamping block 1 ,near the outer edge thereof is formed a vertical socket 6 which communicates at its lower end with a socket 7 formed in the inner end or edge of the block, said sockets 6 and 7 being threaded as shown.

Screwed into the socket 6 is an upright tubular post or standard 8 on which is slid- ,ably mounted an air releasing member comprising a sleeve 9 which extends. downwardly for a considerable distance on the post 8 and forms an efficient closure therefor and which has formed integral with its upper end a cross head 10 which when the device is in operative position is disposed in the path of movement of the frangible air releasing device connected with the train pipe and carried by a locomotive or car and which will be hereinafter more fully described. Arranged in the upper portion of the sleeve 9 between the same and the upper end of the post 8 is a coiled spring 11, the

pressure or expansion of which is applied to project the sleeve 9 and cross head 10 to an operative position when the signal or switch to which the same is connected is set at danger or is broken. The spring 11 has its lower end connected to the upper end of the post 8 in any suitable manner for holding the spring against turning and the upper end of the spring is connected to the upper end of the sleeve 9 and crosshead 10 by a screw or bolt 12 whereby the torsional action of the spring will yieldingly hold the cross head in a normal position and will restore the cross head to this position should the latter be turned from any cause.

Slidably mounted in the tubular post 8 is a cross head connecting rod 13 the upper end of which has therein a loop adapted to receive the screw 12 whereby the upper end of the connecting rod is attached to the cross head and upper end of the sleeve 9. The

' lower end of the rod 13 is also provided with a loop and has attached thereto one end of a chain 14 or other flexible connection which passes around a pulley 16 arranged at the inner ends of the sockets 7 and 8 in the block 1. This rod 13 is of slightly less diameter than said post 8 and forms a reinforce therefor. The chain 14 after passing around the pulley 16 extends through a tube or conduit 17 one end of which has a threaded engagement with the socket 7 in the block 1 and the opposite end of which terminates in proximity to the signal, switch or other device to which the appliance is attached.

As hcreinbefore stated the appliance is connected with a semaphore signal and the chain 14 after leaving the tube 17 passes around a guide pulley 18 arranged on the semaphore post and from thence extends upwardly and is connected with the inner end of; the semaphore arm 19. The chain 14 is of such length that when the outer end of the semaphore arm is swung upwardly to a danger position, the chain will permit the spring 11 to force the sleeve 9 and cross head 10 upwardly to a position where the same will be disposed in the path of movement of the frangible air releasing mechanism of the locomotive or car. When the arm 19 of the semaphore is swung downwardly to an inoperative position, the weight of the outer end of the arm will cause the inner end there of to pull upon the chain and thus through the connecting rod 13, retract the sleeve 9 and cross head out of the path of movement of the air releasing parts carried by the train or car.

The frangible air releasing devices carried by the locomotive or car comprise short tubes 20 which are preferably formed of heavy glass but which may be constructed of thin cast iron or any other suitable material capable of being readily broken when brought into engagement with an obstruction. The tubes 20 have formed on their upper ends an annular radially projecting flange 21 and have loosely engaged therewith a coupling nut or union 22 which is adapted to be screwed onto the outer end or branch 23 of the train pipe, the opposite end of which is connected with the train pipe back of the valve therein. Arranged in the nut or union 22 between the inner flanged end of the tube 20 and the adjacent end of the branch pipe is a washer 24 which when the nut or union is screwed upon the threaded end of the pipe thesame to cause the tubes to engage the cross head or other obstruction alongside the tracks.

When the device is applied to street railways or other cars, the frangible air pipes and tubes may be connected with the brake beams or any ,other suitable part of the framework of the car. When the frangible air releasing tubes are thus arranged, should the car become derailed from any cause the tubes will be brought into forcible engagement, with the tracks and thus broken, thereby releasing the air and causing the instant application of the brakes. As is hereinbefore stated, the tubes 20 may be formed of glass or thin cast iron and when of glass, they are preferably inclosed in a cage or wire netting casing 25 which will efl'ectually prevent any particles of the glass from flying and injuring any one when the tubes are broken.

By means of an appliance constructed as herein shown and described, it will be seen that as soon as a semaphore'or other signal is placed at danger, the cross head of the appliance will be automatically projected to an operative position wherein the frangible air releasing devices carried by the car or locomotive will be brought into engagement therewith, thus breaking the devices and releasing the air without the aid of the engineer or any of the train crew.

It will also be noted that the appliance is light and portable and may be readily carried by a track walker and quickly arranged in position and connected with a semaphore or other form of signal or switch and thus put in readiness for stopping the next approaching train should the signal not be seen or be ignored by the engineer.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what connected with said block and communicating with the inner end of said standard, a member comprising a sleeve slidably engaged with said standard,a cross head on the upper endof said sleeve,- a spring secured at one end to the upper end of said standard and at its opposite end to said sleeve whereby the latter is projected and yieldingly held in a projected and operative position and whereby the torsional action of said spring will hold said sleeve and cross head in position, a connection rod slidably mounted in said tubular standard and connected at its upper end with said sleeve and cross head, a flexible retracting element arranged 15 in said conduit and attached at one end to the lower end of said connecting rod and having its opposite end adapted to be connected with a signal.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 20 my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' GLEBURG WESLEY KILLIAN.

Witnesses:

H. L. HAGAN,

K. L. Swanrour. 

